Cupid: ABC Orders Remake of Jeremy Piven Series

by Trevor Kimball, August 26, 2008

In 1998, ABC aired Cupid, a romantic-comedy starring Paula Marshall and Jeremy Piven. The series tells the tale of a man who believes that he’s the mythological Cupid and the female psychologist who’s assigned to his case. Cupid, created by Rob Thomas, wasn’t a big success but became a cult favorite with a devout group of fans. It was cancelled after just 15 episodes and the network didn’t even air the finale.

Last October, with the potential of a writers strike looming, ABC told Thomas that they were interested in revisiting the series. Thomas was shocked and said, “I’m getting a chance to do what writers never get the chance to do, which is to go back and try [to improve my work].” Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace) and Sarah Paulson (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) were ultimately hired to play the lead roles and a new pilot was filmed.

The network execs apparently liked what they saw because they’ve now given the go-ahead for the new Cupid to become a midseason replacement series. Thomas, Danielle Stokdyk, Dan Etheridge, Bharat Nalluri and Jennifer Gwartz will executive produce the one-hour show for ABC Studios.

Midseason orders are typically made in May or June but Cupid’s and a few others were delayed due to the writers strike. Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment, said, “It was worth taking the time to go through the pilot process to really do it right. We’re excited about these series and feel they’re perfect additions to our dominant core slate of shows.”

Can the new cast and crew of Cupid recapture the magic of the original series? Will this new show last longer than its 1998 predecessor? Stay tuned!